How is Home Depot doing? Home Depot’s ad campaign always makes me want to go buy a can a paint or a shovel or SOMETHING. Lowe’s on the other hand, seems to push it’s big ticket items like appliances. Advertising does matter.

3 posted on 10/17/2011 12:16:32 PM PDT by nagdt
("None of my EX's live in Texas")

“How is Home Depot doing? Home Depots ad campaign always makes me want to go buy a can a paint or a shovel or SOMETHING. Lowes on the other hand, seems to push its big ticket items like appliances. Advertising does matter.”

I live equidistant between a Lowe’s and a Home Depot. They are very different.

Lowe’s has more frills, more appliances, etc. It’s much closer to a department store. And at this particular Lowe’s the staff is pretty good, and they seem to care that you get what you want.

Home Depot has more stuff for projects. If you want an electrical box, or a fixture, Home Depot will have a better quality and selection. But, the staff at this Home Depot couldn’t give a rat’s patootie if you get what you came for.

My two cents: heard on CNBC just last week that Home Depot is doing considerably better than LOWES as Home Depot has concentrated on the “retail” fixer-upper as opposed to the “contractor” window. From AP today: “shares of Lowes have been underperforming its rival, The Home Depot since mid-April. Year-to-date, shares of The Home Depot are down about 1%, while Lowes is down nearly 17%”.

On the other hand, closing 20 stores outa 1700 isn’t a whole lot indicative of much of anything to me other than they’re identifying underperforming markets and are playing catch up to HD. Interesting side note: they both pay a near 3% dividend.